With the advancing state-of-the-art of electronic equipment for defense including communications, counter-measures and navigational equipment the trend has been to package very complex equipment in small packages. One example of a limited space area containing a large quantity of such complex electronic apparatus is within a submarine where space requirements are a minimum and a large number of electronic control communications and counter-measure apparatus must be provided. Each instrument in order to assure proper functioning and repair must contain its own instruction manual for providing circuit schematics of the electronics involved and cataloging and describing replacement parts. In view of the large number of manuals involved the trend has been towards miniaturization by reducing the information within the manuals to microfilm and replacing the manuals involved with a mobile microfilm viewing device. In this manner a large amount of information can be stored on a relatively small number of microfilm reels. When any of the apparatus requires servicing then the repairman takes the corresponding reel of microfilm and inserts it within the microfilm viewer for presenting the series of diagnostic steps and repair suggestions contained within the film. After sequentially performing the suggested measurements to determine which of the electronic elements are defective or inoperative then the repairman is able to dial the microfilm viewer to the section of the film reel which deals with part description and procurement. This portion of the film instructs the repairman as to the name of the part requiring replacement and also directs him to the exact location of this part in a particular bin within a parts storage area.
Although the level of sophistication for military type electronic apparatus has substantially advanced over the past few years the skill of the military repairman has remained relatively level over the same period of time. The advent of the microfilm method for diagnosing and repairing electronic instrumentation therefore is necessary not only in view of the space limitations but also in view of the complexity of the circuitry involved. Another factor present in the repair of submarine instrumentation for example is the time requirement particularly when the submarine navigational or communications systems are involved. The instrumentation in most instances requires immediate diagnosis and repair in order to meet military preparedness requirements and to assure vital information is not missed in the event of emergency situations due to long repair down times involving communications apparatus.
The purpose of this invention therefore is to describe a microfilm instruction system that provides rapid and automatic diagnostic facilities for complex electronic instrumentation so that maintenance and repair can be accomplished in the least possible time. The microfilm instruction system also finds application in the educational field in view of the interrelationship generated between the system of interrogation by the film program and the instructional feedback from the system to the operator.